After the End
by deannajanine4444
Summary: This collection of one shots contains the untold stories of events that may have taken place after the end of each episode. Follows the episode numbers, one one shot per episode. I try to keep everything cannon compliant, answering questions along the way. *May contain spoilers* *Updates Tuesday and Friday*
1. The Bubbler

_Have you ever wondered what happened to Adrien's scarf? This bonus scene after the end of The Bubbler answers this question._

.o.O.o.

 _Yesterday was such an infuriating day. The gall of that petulant child whom Adrien considers his friend, to approach me in my home and insult me. I must have Nathalie speak with him about whom he associates himself with so he isn't influenced by those with poor conduct. Thinking of Nathalie, she too was rather bold yesterday, telling me that I never requested she purchase Adrien's birthday present. She has fulfilled this duty on my behalf ever since she joined our family four years ago. If she can remind me of the date of his birthday, as she did that morning, she can also acquire a gift. I suppose I can let it slide this once, as she did give him one eventually and she always makes a practical selection. If only Ladybug and Chat Noir didn't defeat my akuma._ _Bringing Emilie home would have been the most pleasant surprise I could have offered to my son._

Turning toward the large portrait of his late wife, Gabriel sighed and placed his palm against the frame. _One day my love,_ he vowed, _we_ _will be together as a family once again._

Deciding that today was no longer going to be productive, he began filing away his paperwork. As he stepped out of his office, he caught the eye of his assistant.

"Oh, sir!"

Rigidly fixing his posture to face the woman, he inquired, "Is there something you needed, Nathalie?"

"No, sir. Adrien asked me to pass along his thanks for your gift, sir. That is all."

"Of course. Could you remind me of the gift I purchased for him?"

Every year this charade would play out, as Nathalie would tell the man what 'he' chose. This year, however, her cobalt eyes went wide and looked askance as she wrestled with how to answer. "Well, sir...," she began, imagining what a thirteen year old girl might think to gift the model son of a fashion designer.

She let out a breath when the large black and white doors to the household opened and a young blonde teen stepped in, as if on cue. "Hello, Nathalie... Hello, Father!" His eyes widened and seemed to brighten as he noticed the man standing by the office doors. "Everyone at school loved the scarf you gave me, it's super cool! Thank you so much!"

The elder Agreste's eyes shifted to the soft, blue material around his son's neck and narrowed. "Of course, Adrien. Now, if you would please excuse us, Nathalie and I have something to discuss in my office."

Had Gabriel been looking at his son, rather than his new accessory, he may have noticed how his son's slightly outstretched arms lowered back down to his sides. Had he been listening to his son's tone, rather than simply his words, he may have noticed how dejectedly he replied, "I understand, Father."

However, he simply turned and exited the foyer with Nathalie on his heels. As soon as the office door clicked shut behind them, he coldly addressed his assistant without turning to her. "Nathalie, why is my son wearing a scarf that is not from the Gabriel line?"

Sensing the underlying rage in his words, the woman carefully phrased her reply. She mentally applauded herself as the lie poured out smoothly. "Sir, I had it commissioned. You know how sentimental Adrien is, he wouldn't have seen an accessory from your line as a true gift. This way, he sees that you care for him enough to give him something truly one of a kind."

Unable to argue his son's personality, the tenseness in Gabriel's shoulders dropped as he faced his assistant. "Very well, Nathalie. My son appreciates the thought you gave, I'm sure. As you said, he is quite emotional, just like his mother. However, I cannot allow him to wear clothing outside of the brand. You must confiscate the scarf as soon as possible and bring it to me."

"But, sir, you saw how much he cherishes it! He won't let it out of his sight!"

"I gave you an order, Nathalie!" He responded, the anger returning to his words in full force. "See that it's done."

"Yes, sir."

.o.O.o.

"Nathalie, have you seen my scarf?"

"It's not here, Adrien," she responded, perhaps a little too quickly.

Wide green eyes peered from the open door. "Not here? But I just wore it to school yesterday! It has to be around here somewhere..." The teen rushed back toward his closet to search once more.

"It appeared to have gotten a stain, so I had it sent to the cleaner. Now if you don't hurry Adrien, you will be late to school."

"You could have just said so in the first place, Nathalie." Orange Converse raced to the door as he called out, "Thank you for taking care of it for me!"

 _Of course, Adrien,_ she thought, as she stepped into her employers office. "The scarf, sir," she said, as she handed over the offending accessory.

"Thank you, Nathalie. I'll see to it that he doesn't find it."

Naturally, the scarf took a while to return 'from the cleaners' and eventually Adrien stopped asking about it when his father offered him an almost exact duplicate a week later. Though he never mentioned it, he knew it wasn't the same. Adrien had run his fingers over the embroidered motif along the border enough times to recognize the difference, even if he never saw the hidden signature it contained. The imposter was promptly folded in a drawer amongst other clothes. However, if one day Ladybug and Chat Noir were to discover Hawkmoth's lair, they may be confused to find a familiar blue scarf, complete with embroidery, tucked away in a dark corner.

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: The winning derby hat from the school design competition was to be worn during Adrien's next photoshoot. Learn what happened after the end of Mr. Pigeon._


	2. Mr Pigeon

_The winning derby hat from the school design competition was to be worn during Adrien's next photoshoot. Learn what happened after the end of Mr. Pigeon._

.o.O.o.

Tikki munched happily on a macaron as her eyes ping ponged around the room, watching as her chosen paced between her closet and mirror. "What's wrong with your regular outfit, Marinette?"

The girl in question dropped the dress she had been holding up to herself in a heap as she exclaimed, "You don't understand Tikki! This isn't just a 'regular' day! Today is the day Adrien will be wearing my hat in his photoshoot at the park and I was asked to come! There will be models, photographers, oh, and what if Mr. Agreste is there?! What if I am wearing those pumps I picked and I trip in the grass, then my dress flies up and everyone sees underneath?! Then I'll never be invited to another photoshoot again and Mr. Agreste will be so embarrassed of me that I can never be a fashion designer, or worse... He will never approve of me to be Adrien's wife and I'll die alone!"

Soft, high pitched laughter filled the room as the kwami observed her chosen's frazzled state. Visions of worst case scenarios were nothing new to her these days, but Tikki still found them quite amusing. "Oh Marinette, that's exactly why the outfit you're already wearing is best. Those shoes are flat so you are less likely to trip and your pants will keep you modest. Besides, I think it is very fashionable and it displays your talent well!"

"I suppose you're right, Tikki," she replied with a smile. "Sometimes keeping things simple is best." Both giggled as Marinette poked her kwami's tummy.

"Let's get going, Tikki! I won't be late this time!"

.o.O.o.

"Adrien, I thought you said your friend would be coming."

"She will be, Nathalie! Marinette tends to run _fashion_ ably late, that's all," the teen responded, hoping that his pun might buy her a little time. By the sound of Nathalie's groaning, it seemed to have worked.

"I'm here! I'm so sorry I'm late," the girl panted out as she hurried to the set.

"Marinette, please take your hat to the wardrobe tent right away. It is to only be worn at the end of the shoot as to not upset Adrien's allergies before we are finished," the assistant cooly stated.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied as she quickly followed her order.

After the fabric opening of the tent swished closed behind her, Marinette turned to her purse where a small red head was peeking out. "I feel so bad for Adrien, Tikki. Why did I have to include a feather in my design?"

"You can't blame yourself, Marinette. After all, how could you have known he was allergic?"

"I suppose you're right. It doesn't change the fact that he'll have to suffer through this photoshoot while he's wearing it though," the teen sighed, as she sat the hat box on a shelf.

Muffled voices began filling the tent.

"I told you just last week, Mr. Ramier. No feeding the pigeons! How many times do I have to repeat myself?"

"But officer, it's simply not fair! What harm could my sweet pigeons do?"

"Given how the city was swarmed by them last Monday, I would say they can do a lot of damage!"

"No officer, that wasn't their fault, it was mine! I was akumatized. They shouldn't suffer on my behalf."

"Mr. Ramier, you can either leave this park peacefully or be escorted out. I suggest you choose wisely."

Tikki looked into her chosen's worried eyes. "It sounds like Mr. Ramier is still getting himself into trouble."

"Yeah, you would think that he would've stopped after being akumatized, but, if anything, he seems more resolved than ever!" Marinette lifted the lid off the hatbox and glanced to her derby hat. "You know, Tikki, I think I can help him out."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"You'll see," she said with a smirk, carrying her hat out of the tent. She was met with the sight of a blue-suited man with drooping shoulders dragging his feet away from a bench covered in bird seed. "Mr. Ramier, wait!"

Both he and the red-headed officer standing nearby turned to face her.

"Young lady, this man was just asked to leave this park. You have no business standing in the way of the law."

"But Officer Raincomprix, is feeding the pigeons really a crime?" Marinette stepped to the officer and proudly held out her derby hat. "I was at the Trocadero sketching for a design competition at my school. When I saw Mr. Ramier feeding the birds there he inspired me to make this hat, which was hand picked by Gabriel Agreste to be modeled here in the park today. If it wasn't for him, I may not have won the contest. He helped me find inspiration and beauty in a source that's often overlooked.

"Also," she continued, "pigeons live in every city and stopping Mr. Ramier won't stop them. What if instead of banning him from feeding the birds anywhere, you allow him to feed them at parks with lots of trees that are away from attractions, like this one? It will keep the pigeons from populated areas, so neither the birds nor Mr. Ramier will be a nuisance."

Roger tapped his chin for a moment as he considered her argument. "I suppose you do have a good point, young lady," he said as he turned to the lanky man. "Alright, Mr. Ramier. I'll allow you to feed the pigeons if you promise to stay away from tourist attractions, such as the Trocadero. If I catch you near our landmarks with birdseed I will have to ban you for good. Do you understand?"

"Oh yes, sir!" The man bobbed his head vigorously. "Thank you so much! I promise I will do just as you say!" He wished goodbye to his pigeons with a vow to meet them again with more seed.

With a smile on her face, Marinette began to walk back towards the photoshoot. A cheerful voice called out from her purse, "Wow, Marinette! That was such a sweet thing for you to do for Mr. Ramier; very Ladybug of you."

Marinette glanced down to her kwami and replied, "Thanks, Tikki. I'm just glad I was able to help him out since he helped me win the contest."

A male voice interrupted the exchange, "Marinette!"

"A-Adrien! How is going the photoshoot? I mean, your phodeling? Modeling? Ugh, hi." She nervously smiled as she was internally facepalming.

Luckily, the model took her rambling in stride as he flashed a bright smile. "We were just getting ready to photograph with the hat so I came to find you. I saw you standing up for Mr. Ramier. That was awesome!"

"Oh, well, it was nothing really. I mean anyone would've done it, no big deal-"

He cut her off with a chuckle, "Let's get you back to the shoot, Marinette. I can't wait to show off your derby hat."

With a dopey smile, she followed her crush. The shoot finished shortly after, as Adrien couldn't last long before being overcome with sneezing. Afterwards, Marinette walked home with a giant grin as she called Alya and told her all about "one of the best days ever" and that "Adrien called me awesome!"

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: Marinette is in hot water when Manon and Alya question how she is able to get ahold of Ladybug so quickly. An interrogation takes place after the end of Stormy Weather._


	3. Stormy Weather

A/N:

Thank you all for your support of this series! I get so excited when I see a new fave or follow. If you have any headcannons or 'what if's that stem from an episode that you would like to see, please let me know! I can't guarantee that I'll do them, but I would appreciate the inspiration!

 **Guest:** Thank you for both of your kind reviews! In your second one you mentioned the fake feather. Good catch! I purposely left it as the real one though, since substituting it was a big deal to Marinette later in the series. I'm trying to make this one shots cannon compliant and chronological (as much this series can be), so I left it as is for now. Since my goal is to be as true to the series as possible, please let me know if you see anything else that may not be! Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

.o.O.o.

 _Marinette is in hot water when Manon and Alya question how she is able to get ahold of Ladybug so quickly. An interrogation takes place after the end of Stormy Weather._

.o.O.o.

Place des Vosges was filled with laughter as a young girl was swung by her arms between her two babysitters. "Higher, higher!"

"Alright, Monkey, that's enough. We can't feel our arms anymore," panted the teen wearing glasses.

The brunette child snivelled as she turned toward her other caretaker, "Marinette, you have to. You promised!" Her brown eyes widened as she pouted her lips into a perfectly practiced beg.

"No, Manon, not the baby doll eyes!"

Alya turned to her friend, shooting her a warning glare. "Manon, how would you like a piggyback ride from a magical unicorn instead?"

Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "Okay! Let's go!"

A muffled ringing came from Marinette's purse. Digging out her phone, she answered, "Hello, Mrs. Chamack?"

While Marinette continued her conversation, Alya entertained her passenger by racing in circles nearby.

"Manon, your mom is going to be by to pick you up soon. We need to head back to my house," informed the teen as she placed her phone back into her bag.

Before the young girl could begin to whine, Alya quickly chimed in, "I'll give you a piggyback ride the whole way there!"

The babysitters laughed as Manon cheered in response.

.o.O.o.

The trio sat in a circle on Marinette's floor and shared a plate of cookies, reminiscing over the day.

"It's a good thing you're best friends with Ladybug! It was scary." Manon shuddered, then laughed, "Being trapped on the carousel was just like that one part of the story of the princess and the cursed potato!"

Marinette looked bewildered and nervously giggled, "Yeah, Ladybug came just in time, didn't she? What is this about a princess and a potato?"

"Uh-uh, no you don't girl," her best friend replied while crossing her arms. "You don't get to hold out on us. How did you get ahold of Ladybug?"

"Yeah, did you call her on your phone?" Two pairs of eyes blinked at Marinette as she backed away, suddenly feeling very cornered.

"N-no, I don't have Ladybug's phone number! That's ridiculous! As if I would call Ladybug, hah!" She waved her arms frantically as she tried dismissing their claims.

"Then you certainly won't mind if we take a look at this!" The auburn exclaimed, quickly snatching the designer's phone.

Cries of "Hey, give that back!" and "Stop it, you two!" filled the room as Marinette chased the girls. Alya then sat down on the chaise and began flipping through the phone with Manon looking over her shoulder.

"You won't mind us looking if you have nothing to hide!" she sang, challenging her friend to counter her argument with a smirk.

"Fine," she groaned back, "But don't delete anything!"

"Marinette, why do you have so many pictures of that boy from the park? I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend," Manon asked with a furrowed brow, genuine curiosity filling her voice.

Immediately the designer's face went red as she lunged for her phone again. "Alya! You don't need to go through my photos!"

"A good reporter leaves no stone unturned!" was her confident reply. "Though girl, you really should get rid of some of these. Imagine if you lost your phone and someone else saw how many pictures you have of Adrien!"

Images of being accused of stalking began to fill her mind. The other two listened amusedly to her mutterings of "court", "search warrant", and "life sentence", punctuated with a cry of "die alone" at the end.

"Girl, I have no clue what just went through your mind, but you need to relax. Take a joke!" the reporter laughed, observing her friend's internal crises.

Her blue eyes peeked out from under her hands that she had slapped over her face. Letting out a sigh, she resigned, "Okay, Alya. I get it, I'll delete some later. Are you done going through my phone now?" She juggled the device as she attempted not to drop it after it was thrown her way.

"It's clean. What a shame; I thought I finally had a good lead on discovering Ladybug's secret identity. However," her eyes shifted to her friend with a self-assured smile, "I get the feeling that there's more to this story that I haven't uncovered yet."

Blanching at the assertion, Marinette grew silent. When a knock on her trap door echoed in the room, she let out a held breath and quickly opened it.

"Mrs. Chamack! Manon was very well behaved today and we had a lot of fun."

"Oh, good. That's great to hear," responded the red haired woman. "Manon, please say thank you to Marinette for watching you today."

"Thank you, Marinette! Thank you, Uni!" the girl called out as she was carried down the steps by her mother.

"Phew, what a day," Marinette sighed, closing the door.

"You can say that again, girl. I've never doubted Ladybug, but being trapped in an ice cube this afternoon was terrifying."

"I'm so sorry Alya," she remorsefully replied. Seeing her friends targeted by akuma always affected her. "I should have never had you take Manon. She was my responsibility."

Her friend gave her a small smile. "Don't sweat it, girl. It was my idea anyway. When Adrien's photographer said they needed an extra I wanted you to have that chance. Unfortunately, that didn't go the way I thought it would."

Marinette giggled, "It's okay, Alya. Thank you for trying to do that for me. You're the greatest best friend a girl could ask for." She slung her arms around her neck and the girls tightly embraced.

"Awe, Marinette!" Alya stepped away from her friend. "I suppose it's for the best. You probably would've just stood there like a statue drooling over him anyway!"

"Hey! That's not true!"

"Fight me if you want girl, but there's no denying it! Luckily you don't need the real guy, you have all those pictures to keep you company!"

"Alya!"

.o.O.o.

 _Next time:_ _Marinette's parents continue celebrating their anniversary after the end of Timebreaker. Their story is retold over a photo album of the past three decades._


	4. Timebreaker

_Marinette's parents continue celebrating their anniversary after the end of Timebreaker. Their story is retold over a photo album of the past three decades._

.o.O.o.

"Mom, Dad, happy anniversary!" Marinette exclaimed, handing a wrapped package to the two bakers.

"Oh, and what is this?" the small Asian woman questioned as she accepted the gift with a smile.

Her broad shouldered husband proudly answered, "It's something amazing! After all, it's from my daughter!"

"Dad, stop being silly and open it!"

Gasps of surprise erupted from the spouses once the purple wrapping was torn away. Mrs. Cheng was the first to speak with a tight throat. "You made this, dear?"

In her hands she held a small book with the words "The Story of Us" in cursive above a photo of the family of three on the cover. The scrapbook itself was pink and appeared to be hand bound with black cord. By the way the pages stuck out of the sides to different degrees it was obvious that each piece was cut individually. As if the answer wasn't already apparent, the girl nodded her head, pigtails bobbing above her shoulders.

"I dug around all the photo boxes we have in the closet and found as many pictures as I could. Then, I arranged them to tell your story. I might have gotten a few out of order, but I tried doing it as best as I remember."

"Sweetie, it's perfect," Mr. Dupain softly stated, wiping tears from his eyes. "Why don't we all sit on the sofa and take a look?"

Before long, the family gathered in the living room, Tom with an arm around his wife, who held the book open in her lap with their daughter beside her. They laughed and cried as they relived their journey throughout the years. The parents described the history behind the photos so well that Marinette felt as though she had been there herself.

Near the beginning of the album there was a Polaroid photo of a young Asian girl, about five years old with long black pigtails, held by her parents in front of a building with the characters '誠麵包店' painted along the front in bright red. Chinese lanterns were strung along the windows along with white lights. Scrawled on the photo's border were the numbers '1987'. "Oh," exclaimed Sabine, "this must be the opening day of my parents' bakery in Lyon!"

 _"Mother, Father, can I go play with Hui Yin tomorrow? Please?" the girl asked in fluent Chinese_.

 _"No, Sabine, you must go to school," her father addressed, "Tomorrow is your first day." He set his daughter down as they walked inside the shop, tightening his apron strings. The interior of the store was decorated much like the exterior, festive lanterns hanging above the counters. He inwardly hoped that they would draw enough attention for their first day of business_.

 _"Will I go to school with Hui Yin?"_

 _The man shook his head. "Remember Sabine, your mother and I are sending you to the best primary school in the area."_

 _"That's right, dear," his wife chimed in. "We still don't speak fluent French after living in Lyon for two years, so it's best we stay in the Quartier Chinois, as they call it. But for you, my dear Sabine, we want the best education, that you may live and work however you decide."_

 _By this point, however, the pigtailed girl had stopped listening, running up the stairs to pick out her best cheongsam to wear the next day._

"Oh, I remember this," Tom laughed, several pages later. "This was my first day of collège in Lyon. Mom somehow convinced Dad to move a week before school started all the way from Nice, where I was born." The picture he stopped on had the date 05/09/1994 written along the bottom. The subject was a sulking boy with shaggy brown hair falling into his emerald eyes. His limbs seemed way too long on his scrawny frame and the way he hunched under his backpack made it abundantly clear he did not want his picture taken.

 _"Stop it, Mom, you're embarrassing me!" His eyes darted left and right, hoping no one was watching._

 _"Nonsense, Tom! Now smile for your mammina," the Italian woman replied with fervor. She never minded what others thought of her, always boisterously entering a room and doting on those around her. This was vastly different from her husband, who preferred to stay in the background, and remained a point of contention ever since they met and married in Nice._

Eventually _the camera was put away and Tom stepped into his school, wiping off a sloppy kiss from his cheek. Due to the delay, he was the last to enter the classroom. "Good morning, everyone! This year I would like to introduce a new student. Please welcome Tom Dupain!" The class responded to the teacher's announcement with cheerful replies of "welcome" and "good morning". "Tom," she continued, "you may sit in the second to last row next to Sabine. Sabine, raise your hand, dear."_

 _Suddenly the sullen expression melted from his face as he found the most beautiful eyes he had every seen. The boy took in the dark bun atop her head and the gentle slope of her cheeks, committing them to memory. "Tom, would you take your seat please?" Snapping his jaw closed, he looked toward the floor, hoping no one saw his reddened cheeks. At this point he was so flustered he forgot about the steps leading to his desk and promptly landed on his face when he didn't pick his feet up high enough. Rushing to his seat and ignoring the laughter around him, he almost missed the gentle voice from his left asking, "Are you alright?" His voice cracked and for the next two weeks he lamented his response._

 _"You're an a-angel."_

After several more page turns, the family landed on a photo dated 1996. It depicted a blur of an angry teen girl holding a half empty bag of flour, storming away from a boy whose eyes were wide with shock, body coated in white. "This must have been when you started as an apprentice at my parent's bakery!"

"Of course," Tom replied to his wife, "they wanted a photo of their two assistants. As usual, I made a fool of myself in front of you. I still remember being so nervous around the love of my life!" The couple was so enraptured by the picture, they missed the way their daughter's face flushed as she thought of the way she acted in front of Adrien and hoped her story might have a happy ending, too.

 _"Oooh, Thomas Dupain! I can't believe you!"_

 _"Sabine, I don't know what I did wrong, I'm so sorry," the fifteen year old apologized. Ever since the day they met, Tom had a habit of upsetting Sabine on accident. At school she avoided him, since he always seemed to trip on air and drop or spill something on her. Today was supposed to be different, and all he did was speak to her and she got mad. He looked to his employers, "I'll clean this for you and won't come back, you don't have to worry about paying me."_

 _The Chinese couple laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement. "Nonsense, Tom," the woman replied, her French near perfect after so many years living in the country. "Today is only your first day and I believe you have potential. Besides, not many French boys share your love of our baked goods."_

 _This was very true. If it hadn't been for his adventurous mother, Tom probably would have never set foot in the Quartier Chinois, where he discovered the deliciousness of baozi, fa gao, and his favorite, sachima. Once his parents deemed him old enough to venture into the area on his own he visited the bakery often, making friends with the owners. Imagine his surprise when he walked in as Sabine kissed her father's cheek and ran in the back of the store. When he stepped to the counter and was offered an apprenticeship he quickly accepted, hoping to spend more time with the girl and even impress her._

Of _course, this desire to impress was often followed by disaster. Today, it meant the object of his affection dumped a bag of flour on his head. He hadn't even finished his sentence before earning the surprise, only getting out, "Sabine, wǒ kěyǐ wěn nǐ ma-"_

 _"What were you trying to say?" The older gentleman asked between peals of laughter._

 _"I had been practicing Chinese, I wanted to ask her to go the movies with me and hoped to surprise her."_

 _"I'm sure you surprised her, all right." The adults began laughing again_.

The _young man's face lost color as he asked, "What did I say?"_

 _"You asked if you could kiss her!"_

 _Tom fainted._

The couple continued reminiscing as they turned the pages depicting their first date at sixteen (once Sabine started falling for her parent's sweet, but klutzy employee), Tom's move to Paris with his mom following his parent's divorce, their graduations from lycèe and the moments in between. Suddenly, a photo of the two together appeared. "This must have been after I moved to Paris for université. I remember being so surprised to see Tom."

"In a city of thousands, who would've thought we would be able to find each other again?" Tom smiled fondly at his wife. "I had been working through pastry school when she stepped through the doors of the boulangerie I worked for. She was more beautiful than I remembered." Tender eyes gazed on each other as they smiled, remembering the years after they reunited.

"Oh, look Tom!" Sabine announced, turning the page. The photo showed the pair with wide smiles in front of an ice cream cart. The woman excitedly showed off her left hand to the camera, a sparkling engagement ring proudly displayed.

"I was so nervous you were going to swallow it. Maybe hiding the ring in the ice cream wasn't my best idea." The family laughed in agreement.

More pages turned through dozens of wedding and honeymoon photos. Before long the pictures depicted Sabine sporting a short bob and a large belly. Soon after, the couple was joined by a blue eyed baby. As they observed Marinette's rapid growth over the years, they were interrupted by a picture of a five year old girl, held in the arms of her parents, outside of a familiar building with gold writing on the windows. The words 'célébrera l'ouverture' were written on a banner above the store. "This was when we opened a bakery of our own, Tom and Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie," Tom proudly announced.

"It all went so fast, didn't it?" his wife asked gently, a single tear escaping her eye. They continued through the book until the end, thankful for the years they spent together and excited for the years to come.

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: After the end of Copycat, Nino, Adrien, Alya, and Marinette were supposed to go to the movies together. Unfortunately, Adrien wasn't allowed to attend, but the threesome go anyway. New feelings emerge as a result. (Have you ever wondered when Nino's crush on Marinette in Animan began?)_

.o.O.o.

A/N: I try to keep all of these stories around 1k words, but I got a little carried away with this prompt. This was a lot of fun to research for and maybe one day I'll do a Tom and Sabine centered story. In the third 'flashback', the Chinese phrase Tom is trying to say is "Sabine, wǒ kěyǐ wèn nǐ ma-", which translates to "Sabine, can I ask you-". By mispronouncing 'wèn' as 'wěn', the meaning is changed to "Sabine, can I kiss you?" Poor Tom!

From my research, I found that Chinatowns in France are called Quartier Chinois. Lyon has one of the largest Chinese communities in France, so I thought it made sense for Sabine's family to move there. On another note, I want to try some Chinese baked goods now! Most of the traditional items are savory, but some, such as sachima, are sweet.

I admit that I heavily relied on the internet for this chapter, so if there is something that you find incorrect, please let me know!

PS: App users, can we rant together a little bit about this update? I used to love this app, but now it's super irritating. Ugh. *Gets off soapbox*


	5. Copycat

_After the end of Copycat, Nino, Adrien, Alya, and Marinette were supposed to go to the movies together. Unfortunately, Adrien wasn't allowed to attend, but the threesome go anyway. New feelings emerge as a result. (Have you ever wondered when Nino's crush on Marinette in Animan began?)_

.o.O.o.

Chatter filled the dark theater as the credits started rolling, but no one dared to move from their seat. "Alya, why can't we go yet? I really need to stretch my legs," a pigtailed teen asked her friend to her left.

"Marinette! Everyone knows that there's an additional scene after the credits of every movie in the MCU."

She looked at Alya quizzically, "MCU? What does that mean?"

The red capped male to her right answered, "Majestia Cinematic Universe. I guess the super fans got tired of saying the whole thing while discussing their theories." He gestured air quotes to express his sarcasm. Both he and Marinette started laughing, much to their friend's dismay.

"Hey, I'll have you know that I am a proud comic book nerd. I don't need to theorize when I have the source material!"

"Whatever suits you, dudette," Nino rolled his eyes, inducing more laughter from the girl between them.

"Sorry Alya, but I have to agree with Nino. It's fun to watch the movies, but the devotion of some fans can go a little too far."

Crossing her arms, the dark skinned girl pouted for a moment until the dramatic music came to a close. "Shhh, guys it's starting!" She jumped to the edge of her seat just in time to see the screen transition from black to a scene of the titular hero. After a couple minutes the audience began standing up and filing into the aisles, excited whispers erupting from the crowd. The threesome disposed of their popcorn boxes and empty cups as they made their way to the doors.

"Fresh air at last!" Marinette made a show of stretching her arms above her head once the group made it outside. She yelped when her best friend poked her in the ribs.

"Don't be so dramatic, I know you enjoyed it, even if Adrien didn't come."

Nino adjusted his cap with a frown. "Yeah, it really stinks that his old man wouldn't let him go with us. My man doesn't need extra piano lessons, he needs time to let loose with his friends."

"Be careful, Bubbler," Alya smirked in response, "don't get too worked up over it. Besides, there'll be other movies we can go to together."

"Yeah, you're right," he grumbled, resenting being called by his akumatized name.

Marinette decided to step in before the situation became more tense. "The movie was a good pick, Alya. I especially enjoyed the costume design. I thought their superhero attire was a little flashy, especially compared to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but Camilla's trenchcoat was gorgeous! It looked so simple, but the subtle embroidery and asymmetrical hemline really set it apart."

"They must have modeled it after the coat she wore in issue number 24. I read that the embroidery was actually a nod to her identity as Victory, if you look close enough."

"Nerd," Nino coughed behind the two girls.

"Nino, if I hear one more thing out of you, I'll-"

"Hey, why don't we all head to my house for some croissants and hot chocolate?" Marinette interrupted, hoping that the promise of sweets would diffuse the conflict. Luckily her companions nodded and smiled. Their walk was filled with a seemingly endless commentary from Alya, who had her phone in hand, comparing every analysis of the movie that she could find.

"She really is kind of crazy, isn't she?" Nino said under his breath as Marinette fell into step beside him.

"Yeah, but that's just because she's so passionate," she replied with a smile, gazing on her friend in front of her. "I can't say that I'm as into the MCU, or whatever you call it, as she is, but I still thought it was a pretty good movie. What about you?"

"I thought the soundtrack was pretty wicked. The opening theme was epic, I might try to incorporate it into one of mixes."

"That's a great idea, Nino! It sounds like a challenge. I'm excited to hear it when you're finished. You always do such a great job on your mixtapes!"

He gulped and reached up to fiddle with his hat. "You really think it would be cool?"

"Of course!" Suddenly her smile seemed a little brighter to him, as she turned to face him. How had he been in her class this many years without noticing the constellations of freckles along her nose?

"T-thanks." He stopped and cleared his throat. "You said you liked the costumes. Anything else?"

"Well, I always appreciate the artistry in the camera work. Most people don't pay a lot of attention to it, but something as simple as lighting can really set the mood of a scene. The angles used during the fight scenes added a lot of excitement and made me feel like I was part of the action. Oh, and the view from the Empire State Building... And now I sound like Alya, don't I?"

Nino laughed nervously, not because he couldn't deny her statement, but because to him she didn't sound like Alya at all. With every word she spoke, from valuing her friend and expressing her passions to encouraging him in what he loved, her voice grew more melodic.

"You know, if you're interested in cinematography, there's this cool student film contest coming up in a few weeks. I've actually been practicing filming and thought about entering... Maybe you could be my- I mean, the director? You know, since you seem to really have a vision for that kind of thing."

"I would love to work with you! It will be a lot of fun to enter the contest together. I had no clue you were so interested in film."

 _Neither did I..._ Nino thought. He wasn't sure why he wanted to impress Marinette all of the sudden, but he couldn't help the way his stomach fluttered at her response. _She'd love to... Work with me?_ _Together?_ Truth be told, by "practicing filming" he meant he tried recreating a few Vines that Adrien showed him, with little success. But hey, it was still experience, right?

"Hey you two, are you coming?" Alya called from the open door of the patisserie.

"Yeah, just be patient! Come on, Nino, she won't wait long if there's a promise of chocolate!"

Somehow, Nino imagined that the hot chocolate wouldn't warm his heart the way Marinette's smile did. _Maybe if the movie goes well, I'll ask Marinette on a date after..._

o.O.o.

 _Next time:_ _Sibling rivalry escalates between the Kubdel's after the end of The Pharaoh. A.K.A. Alix doesn't like to lose even the silliest argument._


	6. The Pharaoh

_Sibling rivalry escalates between the Kubdel's after the end of The Pharaoh. A.K.A. Alix doesn't like to lose even the silliest argument._

.o.O.o.

Most everyone in Paris would agree that the Ladyblog was the best source for all things Ladybug and Chat Noir. Although no one was sure how the blogger managed to get more information than the press, it wasn't questioned, but simply accepted with gratitude. Those who had been akumatized would often check the site once they had calmed down. It wasn't that they were excited for the publicity; the victims often felt discombobulated and wanted to fill in the gaps in their memory, no matter how difficult it was to watch.

Due to this, it was no surprise that Hawkmoth's most recent victim had pulled up the blog on his laptop a few hours after his recovery. He had been watching the highlights reel that was at the top of the page. The footage showed several mummies walking in circles around a tall, dark figure with a golden head. Off camera, a young feminine voice started speaking. "Uh, excuse me, Pharaoh, but, uh, what exactly is going on?"

The figure turned, revealing a face straight from Egyptian hieroglyphics. "I'm going to carry out the secret spell, to bring Nefertiti back!"

"Ahh, hmmm. Gotcha! You're talking about the spell on the papyrus, right?" Alya replied with equal parts sarcasm and curiosity.

"Correct! The one hundred mummies and the offering!"

"Offering. What offering?"

"To persuade the sun god Ra to give me my sweet princess, I must give him something in return. A pure soul!"

Before he finished speaking, Alya cut in. "Dude, that's hard to come by."

Pharaoh replied with excitement, "But I've already found her! You look so much like her!"

"Say what?!" she gasped, her tone dropping to horror.

The speakers filled with Pharaoh's villainous laugh when another cackle started from the doorway.

Shutting the laptop revealed Alix doubled over in laughter. "What's so funny?" Jalil asked his younger sister, quite unamused.

"I can't believe you got akumatized by looking at papyrus scrolls in Dad's exhibit! And you were trying to bring Nefertiti back from the dead?! I mean, I knew you were crazy, but you reached a whole new level!"

"Alix, that's enough! Get out of here!" Jalil rose from his chair with a scowl and stormed towards the pink haired tomboy.

"Ahhh! What are you gonna do? Sacrifice me to the sun god?" She stuck out her tongue at her brother.

Red faced, Jalil shouted back, "At least it would be for a worthy goal and not for fixing some stupid watch!"

Immediately Alix's demeanor turned stubborn. "You're just jealous because the watch goes to the youngest kid in the family!"

"Why would I be jealous of some trinket like that when Dad lets me help at the Louvre with real artifacts? Besides, if it wasn't for Ladybug you wouldn't even have that watch anymore!"

"At least my watch got fixed, unlike that thing inside your skull, M. Awaken-Nefertiti!"

"It's called a brain, I know because I actually use it! Why do you care so much anyway?"

The question brought a smirk back to Alix's face. "Well, we can't have the Kubdel name brought down by lame akumas like you, can we?"

Rolling his eyes with a sigh, Jalil muttered under his breath, "You're just mad because I had better powers than you."

"What did you say?" Alix snarled.

"I know you heard me," he smugly replied.

"As Timebreaker I literally went back in time! Being a 'Pharaoh' isn't better than that!" she gestured mockingly.

"One of my powers slowed down time, and I didn't need to stock up on energy to do it! Face it, you're jealous," he stated, finally returning to his chair and leaning back.

Alix knit her brows and glowered. To an outside observer she simply looked angry, but her brother saw something that most would not. The gleam in her cobalt eyes flickered just for a moment, but it betrayed an emotion stronger than anger: competitiveness.

She began in a low voice, "Jalil, I am not jealous of you. I could race circles around you, even if you were flying and I was wearing my normal blades," gradually she grew louder. "I might not know about all this mummy mumbo-jumbo, but I'm not stupid either. My powers as an akuma were much better than yours. In fact, my powers were doubled when I went back in time! If Ladybug hadn't shown up I could've went back in time to fix my watch all by myself! I was unstop-"

"Now, now, what is going on here?"

The two teens turned toward their father standing in the doorway, his surprise at the situation written on his face. Alix slowly loosened the grip she had developed on Jalil's collar halfway through her argument.

"Funny story, Dad..." she chuckled nervously.

"It certainly didn't sound like anyone was laughing. Care to explain?" Mr. Kubdel raised an eyebrow to both his children.

Simultaneously, the two began:

"He started it!"

"She started it!"

With a sigh, the elder Kubdel closed his eyes, mentally praying for patience. "Nevermind, I don't want to know how you two started fighting... **again**. However, I never, and I mean never, want this argument repeated. I am glad to have both of you home safely and we are all indebted to Ladybug for her actions. I don't want to imagine what could have happened to either of you if she hadn't intervened." He stepped closer to his children and bent to their level. "You are both very precious to me." The siblings thought they may have seen a tear fall from his eye, but before either could confirm it they were enveloped in a warm hug.

They glanced toward each other from over their father's shoulders and shared a smile to convey the same message. No matter how different they are, they are still a family, and they wouldn't change a thing about it.

.o.O.o.

 _Next time:_ _"Well... with a mask and a costume, don't you think he looks a little bit like Chat Noir?" Alya investigates her hunch, not having learned her lesson, after the end of Lady Wifi._

 _.o.O.o._

 _A/N_ : To be honest, I had no idea where to go with this episode. When I wrote the prompt on Tuesday it was extremely spur of the moment and I didn't have a clue what the plan was. The only thing I knew was I really wanted to write Alix and I decided to go with a different route after Timebreaker. I hope I did her justice.

On another note, are any of you Fullmetal Alchemist fans? (No? Check it out, it's fantastic! However, I recommend watching Brotherhood first. Personal preference.) If so, you probably recognized Jalil's voice, as he shares it with Edward Elric, courtesy Vic Mignogna! I always wondered why they went out of their way to cast such a legend as a minor character. When I was rewatching (and rewatching... and rewatching) this episode, I couldn't help but notice near the beginning of the episode when Jalil says, "Come on, dad! We have to try out the spell! What if Tutankhamun had found out how to bring people back to life?" After I finished laughing out loud, I became totally convinced that Vic was cast strictly for this line. Fight me.

As always, thank you all for your support! I appreciate the new comments, favorites, and follows since my last chapter, they always bring a smile to my face. Also, I don't have anything planned right now, but if I did a short Christmas story, would you guys be interested in reading? If so, are there any prompts that you would like to see? I'm considering doing a two- or three-shot, just to challenge myself. I really value your opinions though, so if you have one I would love to hear it! Thank you!


	7. Lady Wifi

_"Well... with a mask and a costume, don't you think he looks a little bit like Chat Noir?" Alya investigates her hunch, not having learned her lesson, after the end of Lady Wifi._

.o.O.o.

"No way, dudette! You got suspended last time you pulled something like this. I'm staying out of it!"

Alya narrowed her eyes, desperate to win Nino over. Sure, she thought she had nailed Ladybug's identity before and was totally wrong. Yeah, she may have gotten akumatized on top of that. But this was different! If she explained her theory, how could he ignore such an obvious lead? "I'm serious Nino! I even have a photo to prove it!"

Silence hung between the two as Alya looked anxiously at her friend. He pondered his answer as he looked at the Seine from his spot on the bench. They were sat on the same bench that got him wrapped up in that crazy situation just a couple days ago. He could refuse to help her, but she would go through with it anyway. However, the last time she was alone in this situation she was akumatized. Nino winced as he once again felt the guilt gnaw on his conscience. He knew how awful it felt to be controlled from the inside out and not remember anything except anger and sadness. That was the last thing he wished on any of his friends. "If I agree to help you out, will you promise not to go cray cray on me?"

Hazel eyes sparkled as if they were made of gold. Alya gripped Nino's shoulder a little too firmly in her excitement and he yelped. "Nino, you're the best! I knew I could count on you!"

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, brushing off her hand. "Now, who do you think is Ladybug this time?"

"Nuh-uh, not Ladybug," she replied, closing her eyes with a smirk and wagging finger. "Chat Noir." Her determined gaze fixed onto Nino's eyes. He shrunk back slightly from the sheer strength of her resolve.

"C-Chat Noir? Okay, fine, then who is Chat Noir? And you said you had a photo to prove it?"

The smirk never left her face as she swiped through several photos on her phone. Suddenly her phone was in Nino's face and she questioned, "With a mask and a costume, don't you think he looks a little bit like Chat Noir?"

Leaning back so he could see the picture clearly, Nino gasped when he saw the photo depicting Adrien with a black domino mask and cat ears atop his golden locks. "You think Adrien is Chat Noir?" he asked breathlessly, unsure of how to process this new information.

"Why not? This picture is certainly convincing. I've never seen Adrien and Chat Noir in the same place. Add to that how he always has to leave school at random times for photoshoots," she gestured air quotes with her fingers.

"He really does! Are you calling my bro a liar?"

"Hey, calm down!" Alya waved her hands in front of her, pleading. "He's a model, of course he goes to photoshoots! I'm just saying, have you seen pictures from every time he runs off?"

"Well..." Nino's fingers ran back and forth across the brim of his cap nervously. Truthfully, the amount of pictures in Adrien's portfolio and the number of times he claimed modeling as an excuse didn't seem to add up. His curiosity was officially peaked. "What's the plan?"

Alya's mischievous smile made Nino gulp. He had a sinking feeling that those just might be his last words.

.o.O.o.

"Shhh, he's coming!" Alya's urgent whisper barely registered in Nino's ears before her hand shoved his head down behind a large bush. It had been about an hour and a half of watching Adrien pose by the fountain at Place des Vosges and the investigation had yet to yield any useful information. Alya had already expressed her dissatisfaction and mostly blamed it on Nino's lack of cooperation. As creepy as it was, he was alright with spying on his best friend, but no way would he betray his bro by stealing his bag and rifling through it. When Alya declared she would take it in her own hands, he used all his strength to pull her back and threatened to reveal their location. So, here they were, hiding in the foliage next to the photographer's equipment, watching Adrien gather his things.

"Hey Plagg, what do you say we get something to eat? ... Yeah, then we can nap." Nino and Alya dared not blink as they witnessed the blonde speaking and chuckling to himself. As he slung his bag over his shoulder he glanced toward the bushes with a sudden frown. The investigators immediately dove to the ground until they heard footsteps walking away from their hiding place.

"Did you hear that?" Alya wondered out loud, rising to her feet.

"Yeah. Who do you think he was talking to?"

"I have no idea. Have you heard him talk to himself before?"

Nino recalled several times that he thought he had seen Adrien standing alone while muttering to his shirt. All he could do was nod his head, perplexed by his best friend's actions.

.o.O.o.

Nino was placed on reconnaissance during the school day, reporting back his findings to Alya. There wasn't much to say though. Adrien was a dutiful student, he raised his hand often and his eyes rarely left the teacher unless he was jotting down information. Nino was glad his friend took such thorough notes, since he was missing a lot of the lessons as he focused on Adrien, which earned him a side eye from time to time.

The final bell rang and Nino rose with a sigh. Another day wasted on a pointless mission. He wondered how long it would take Alya to abandon her theory. Beside the frequent conversations with himself (a daily occurrence, they noted), Adrien hadn't displayed any odd behaviors.

"Hey, is something wrong, Nino?"

Emerald eyes slant with worry looked at him and Nino suddenly felt nervous. He couldn't let Adrien know he was being observed! "N-no way, man! Why do you ask?"

"Ahhh, no reason, I guess," Adrien's eyes darted to the side in embarrassment as his hand reached to his collar. This made Nino notice something different about his friend.

"Dude, have you been working out?"

"O-oh, yeah! You know, fencing and all," the blond replied, albeit without meeting his friend's eyes.

"No way that's from fencing! You're on your way to ripped, man! You've got to be doing something else!"

Adrien muttered under his breath, but Nino managed to pick out "fighting with" and "every night".

"What was that?" Nino watched his friend stiffen at his question then cast his gaze to the floor. After a moment had passed he looked up with a cheerful smile.

"Nothing, Nino. Maybe it's the new diet my dad has me on!"

Nino narrowed his eyes, sensing something wasn't right. Who could Adrien be fighting with?

.o.O.o.

"So, we've gathered that he talks to himself, mostly about being able to eat or sleep, he mentioned something about fighting with someone every night, and he has a tendency to shove cheese in his pockets," Alya rattled off, once again perched on that fated bench.

It had been a week into their investigation and these were their only three clues as to Adrien's supposed secret identity. The last piece of information was gathered when they had spied on the model during his lunch hour. They had hardly believed their eyes until Marinette had accidentally knocked him over as she turned the corner in the hall too fast and several pieces of Camembert fell out of his pockets. Why would Adrien need to hide food?

"Hey Alya," Nino began, feeling sick from where his thoughts were going, "Do you think Adrien could be... abused?"

Her head turned so fast he was surprised she didn't get whiplash. "Why would you say that?" she asked indignantly.

He reached up to his cap and fiddled with it for a moment before replying. "Well, he's always talking to himself about finally getting to eat or go to bed, like he doesn't get to often. After class that day I know I heard him say that he was fighting with someone and it seemed to make him upset. And who would carry stinky cheese with them unless they had no other choice if they were going to eat that night?"

Alya tapped her chin, lost in thought. Her hazel eyes then set towards Nino with a determined fire burning within them. "We have to confront him. I'm officially calling off the Chat Noir investigation. This is way too important."

.o.O.o.

School seemed to drag the next day. Nino's leg bounced up and down anxiously until the final bell rang. He quickly dragged his best friend toward the library with Alya following close behind. After checking that the room was empty, each grabbed one of Adrien's shoulders and pushed him into a chair. His eyes were wide and he looked at absolute loss as to what was happening.

"Guys, what are you-"

"Adrien," Nino interrupted, looking to the floor, "Alya and I have been watching you because you seemed a little strange." If he thought Adrien's eyes couldn't get any bigger before he was wrong.

"You were watching me? But why?"

It was Alya's turn to speak. "Well, I had a reporter's hunch, but it lead us to another conclusion..."

The silence thickened the air to the point that it was getting hard for Nino to breathe. Unable to suffer another second, he blurted out, "Are you being abused?"

Adrien started laughing. Laughing! As if his best friend had delivered the best punchline he had ever heard. Nino and Alya looked to each other in confusion.

"So, you're not being abused?" the girl asked carefully.

"No! Why would you even think that?" Adrien asked as he wiped a stray tear from his eye, never losing his humored smile.

"Well..." Nino explained everything the they had observed over the past week, though he left out the reason they were watching Adrien to start with. He already felt embarrassed enough, imagine if his best bud knew he considered the possibility of him being Chat Noir!

Adrien explained everything away. He claimed that talking to himself was a quirk from being homeschooled for so long. With his busy schedule he often looked forward to meals and rest, as he didn't have a lot of free time to relax. His father had been having him take intensive self defense classes in case anyone attempted to abduct him in order to hold him for ransom. This was supposed to be a secret so that he could take his would be attackers by surprise. Finally, cheese was just a favorite snack of his and he carried it with him in case he got hungry.

"Well, dudette, that's the end of that. See, your hunches really don't get you anywhere." Nino walked with Alya away from the school to head home, relaxed and carefree, knowing his best friend wasn't in trouble.

"One day I will find Ladybug and Chat Noir as civilians! If I don't follow every rope thrown my way, I might miss a vital clue! Speaking of, have you ever noticed that Marinette looks a lot like Ladybug?"

"Alya..." Nino growled with a warning tone.

"I kid, I kid!" Alya held her hands up in surrender. "There's no way Marinette could be Ladybug; she's too clumsy!"

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: After the end of The Evillustrator, Nathaniel is very upset at the direction his birthday took_.


	8. The Evillustrator

_After the end of The Evillustrator, Nathaniel is very upset at the direction his birthday took._

.o.O.o.

Nathaniel felt exhausted, even though he slept all day. Walking home from the Grand Paris took almost half an hour and he had never been very athletic. That fact didn't bother him; Nathaniel much preferred sitting alone and sketching his surroundings. However, his muscles felt stiff from the late night stroll. Add in being akumatized for the better part of yesterday and it was no wonder he couldn't get enough rest. Sensing his weariness, his parents were willing to let him stay home from school.

Ah, school. Nathaniel was not looking forward to going back tomorrow. How could he? His crush on Marinette was announced to the entire class, courtesy of Chloe. Then, from what he gathered from Ladybug and Chat Noir, he attempted to drown half of Paris's superhero duo along with Marinette while he was akumatized. With these thoughts, he groaned loudly and yanked a fistful of his blanket over his head. At least while he was surrounded by a fortress of pillows he could avoid facing his problems.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice declaring, "Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" The covers were forcefully pulled from his face despite his attempts to fight for their comfort.

"Go away, Alix," he grumbled, turning on his stomach and holding a pillow over his head to try to block her out. Unfortunately, Alix had been really working on her upper body strength lately and easily took it out of his grasp. "Just leave me alone!"

"School's already over, you don't have to hide anymore," she replied, tickling his sides in an attempt to rouse him.

After he couldn't handle anymore of her antics he decided to give up. He swung his flannel-clad legs over the edge of his bed and stretched his arms above his head. "Fine, you win, I'm up. What do you want?" he asked irritably, tugging at the hems of his sleeves.

"Well, Rose, Juleka, Kim, Max, and I were waiting for you to show at the Louvre for over an hour last night and you never came. You said that's what you wanted to do for your birthday! Then today at school Chloe kept going on about how you got akumatized and attacked her in her room and erased her precious closet. So, I had to see for myself." She paused and looked down, then in a smaller voice said, "We were all worried, you know."

Nathaniel felt guilty for standing up his friends. Sure, he hadn't been quite himself yesterday, but he had been looking forward to viewing the new art exhibit at the Louvre. Alix managed to get her dad to agree to let them in early so he could see it on his birthday.

"I'm sorry, Alix. I just felt so angry after Ms. Mendeleiev called my drawings chicken scratch and then Chloe... ugh. Then I attacked Marinette! How could I face any of them today? It's so embarrassing." He cradled his head in his hands with his elbows on his knees, hunched over as if his humiliation was physically perched on his shoulders.

Alix eyed her friend for a moment before jumping up and throwing a handful of clothes in his face. "You're not the only one to have been akumatized, you know. All you really did is doodle, it's not like you literally killed your friends to use their life force to go back in time or something crazy like that." Nathaniel looked up as she laughed at herself. Despite being one of the scariest akumas, Alix had such a carefree attitude toward it. She had a rough time when she first heard what happened, but after being reassured by their classmates that it wasn't her fault she decided to be positive and make a joke out of it. "Come on, let's go out. We never did get to celebrate after all!"

Nathaniel smiled to himself as she left his bedroom; perhaps this birthday wasn't so terrible after all.

Once he had gotten dressed, the pair found themselves visiting the Trocadero, where they found Kim and Max.

"Hey guys!" Kim called excitedly, then he clapped his hand on Nathaniel's shoulder. "Glad to see you're doing alright, man! Hey Alix, want to try to race me again?"

The pink haired girl smacked his arm and leaned in. "I won last time, Meathead. That means no more dares!"

Max pushed up his glasses and faced the jock. "She is correct, Kim. Until the end of the school year you are not permitted to initiate any dares."

"I didn't dare anyone! I simply asked Alix if she wanted to race," Kim smirked. He knew that even though it wasn't an official challenge she wouldn't back down without a fight. Alix was too competitive for that.

Sure enough, after a moment of deliberation, she accepted his offer.

"Are you sure you're okay by yourself?" Alix asked, her brows scrunched in concern. The racers were getting ready to walk down the steps to their track with Max playing the role of referee again when Nathaniel announced he would stay behind.

"Yeah, you guys go on ahead. The view of the Eiffel Tower is beautiful from here and I'd like to draw for a while."

Satisfied, the threesome left and Nathaniel sat at the top of the stairs with his sketchpad. His turquoise eyes glanced toward the tower occasionally for reference as detached lines began to take the form of the architecture in front of him. So absorbed in his work, he missed the light pat of feet landing behind him. Finally satisfied, he lifted up his work in the air, comparing the finished product to the original.

"That's beautiful," a voice gasped in awe, causing him to almost drop the book. After fumbling for a moment, he held the sketchpad safely on his lap. The voice began to frantically apologize. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, I just couldn't help but admire your drawing. You're heart must have stopped, that's what happens to me when someone sneaks up on me! I shouldn't have looked without your permission, I'm so-"

"Hey, it's alright. Thank-" Nathaniel's words died in his throat as he turned around and was met with the sight of a pair of black pigtails tied with red ribbons. "Ladybug?!"

She fiddled with her earring and giggled nervously. "Yep, that's me." Sitting down beside him, her countenance turned serious. The sincerity in her sapphire eyes shone intensely as she apologized again. "Listen, Nathaniel. A little birdie told me that yesterday was your birthday. I'm so sorry that you were akumatized on your special day. I just finished patrol when I saw you here and I would really like to make it up to you. Is there anything I could do?"

Stunned, Nathaniel wasn't sure how to react. His jaw dropped on it's own accord as his wide eyes landed on the girl beside him. The heroine of Paris sought him out just to make sure he had a good birthday? He could hardly believe his ears. As she began to shift uncomfortably, he realized just how long he had been staring at her. Turning red, he cleared his throat awkwardly and shook his head. "No thank you, Ladybug. I'm sure you have plenty of more important things to do."

Not taking no for an answer, she rose to her feet and extended her hand to him. "Come on. Your birthday _is_ important. Besides, I was getting ready to head home and I think I know of something we could do that would really make it up to you."

Intrigued, the redhead took her hand and let her pull him up. "As long as you're sure. What do you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise," she replied with a smirk. Ladybug put a hand around his waist and admonished him to hold on tight. When his feet first left the ground, Nathaniel held back a scream. Heights had never been a preference of his and soaring through the air via yoyo didn't seem like a reliable form of transportation. Nonetheless, he trusted Ladybug and wanted to retain his dignity, so he took to biting his lip and tightly shutting his eyes.

It wasn't until a soft giggle pierced the air that Nathaniel realized that they had landed. Embarrassed, having realized that Ladybug must have seen his pained expression, he looked away. All humiliation was soon forgotten and a gasp of surprise left his mouth once he took in the scenery surrounding them. "This... This is stunning!" The pair was perched on top of the Palais de Chaillot, facing toward the Eiffel Tower.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it?" he scoffed, "This is the most amazing view I have ever seen! But why did you take me here?"

Smiling fondly, Ladybug explained, "When I saw your drawing, I thought you would appreciate the view from up here. I've sat up here plenty of times myself to sketch because it's so inspiring."

"Y-you enjoy drawing, too?"

Suddenly she looked a little embarrassed. "It's more of a hobby really, it's nothing like what you do! You're a true artist!"

Nathaniel blushed at the compliment, but he was more preoccupied with the newfound knowledge he received. The girl with a kind heart, strong determination, and graceful aura was an artist, just like him? His blush quickly grew at the thought of them drawing together. Perhaps she would sit and pose for him as he tried to capture the way the afternoon glow created a halo around her hair. She would stand awestruck once he handed her the portrait. Then her eyelids would flutter shut and she would start leaning in-

"Nathaniel! Where are you?!"

"Uh-oh, it sounds like your friends are looking for you. I should get you back before they get worried."

Ladybug slid her hand around Nathaniel's waist again, but this time he didn't feel nervous about letting her carry him. He trusted her completely. Still, his heart thumped almost painfully in his chest with the physical contact and it's impending absence. Sure enough, they soon reached the ground and Ladybug quickly waved goodbye so she could escape unnoticed by his search committee.

"There you are! Where have you been?" Alix called out after seeing him.

"Oh, I was just getting a better view of the tower so I could draw," he replied. He was already going to get a lot of attention at school tomorrow because of being akumatized, he didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

Kim and Max appeared soon after and the group headed towards their respective homes. After saying goodbye to his friends, Nathaniel went inside his bedroom and sat at his desk. He pulled out a blank sheet of paper and his set of colored pencils. Graphite lines grew on the blank page, carefully curving to the form of a young woman. He thought of her strength and cunning, infusing these characteristics into her eyes. Picking up a black marker, he added the heroine's signature spots. After completing her image he decided to create a title, as if it was a comic book cover

"The Amazing Ladybug... No, that sounds like Spiderman... The Incredible- nope, that's taken too..." He thought out loud as he pondered the adjective that would complete the title. It needed to be something that would encompass her persona. A word that would describe just how special she was. "It's truly a miracle a girl like her even exists... That's it!"

He finished the cover and carefully taped it in his sketchbook after crossing out the pages of Super Nathan. His cheeks grew red when he realized he had added red hearts at the bottom of the page, but be couldn't bring himself to scribble them out. Smiling, he admired his finished work.

"The Miraculous Ladybug!"

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: Even though he inadvertantly caused Roger to be akumatized, Plagg can't seem to avoid getting into mischief. His misadventures after the end of Rogercop._


	9. Rogercop

Even though he inadvertantly caused Roger to be akumatized, Plagg can't seem to avoid getting into mischief. His misadventures after the end of Rogercop.

.o.O.o.

"Plagg? Plagg, where are you?

Adrien was currently on his knees, bent down to look under his bed, while he was calling out for the kwami. It wasn't unusual for the being to fall asleep in some of the strangest places due to a cheese induced coma, but it was going on twenty minutes and Adrien was growing concerned. Fortunately, there wasn't an akuma attack and Ladybug would understand why he was late to patrol (he hoped).

"Come on, Plagg, this isn't funny!"

"I'm not here!" A muffled voice echoed throughout the room.

"Nice try. I'm late Plagg, will you just tell me where you are?" After silence reigned for a few minutes, Adrien decided that dire circumstances called for drastic measures. He knew he would experience the wrath of the kwami, yet he continued with his plan, grabbing a large jar from under his desk. The lid was shut, but he still had to hold his nose when he lifted it. "If you don't come out right now, say goodbye to El Plaggo."

A shriek bounced off the walls. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

Adrien heard some shuffling, a yelp, then a resigned sigh.

"Uh, Adrien?" came a small voice.

"What is it, Plagg?"

"We-ell... It's a long story, but could you come to the bathroom?"

He was perplexed. Plagg never went into the bathroom unless Adrien was in there brushing his teeth, so he hadn't considered checking the on suite. As soon as he stepped through the doors, he noticed a ball of black fur stuck in the sink drain.

"What in the world?" he gasped in awe. This was much weirder than getting his head stuck in a bracelet. Plagg's body sat upside-down out of the drain, but his head was completely out of view. "What did you do?!"

"Help first, questions later."

A few minutes, a bottle of oil, and lots of tugging later, Plagg was unstuck and covered in grease.

"Well?" Adrien asked, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes. "I missed patrol and I expect an explanation."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you that my head grew larger to accommodate my brain would you?" The kwami smiled, but it slowly faded and his ears dropped when Adrien didn't respond. "Okay, okay. I was eating Camembert on the counter-"

"In the bathroom?"

"No, in the courtyard. Duh, in the bathroom!" he replied sarcastically. "I had been stockpiling some and was enjoying the luxury of eating without hearing your lovestruck sighing. Ladybug this, Ladybug that. It's nauseating!"

Despite being teased like this for months by now, Adrien's face lit aflame. "P-Plagg!"

"Anyway, I'm out. Why don't you call your Lady friend and let her know you're sorry for standing her up?"

"I didn't- ugh, nevermind. Plagg, claws out!" Chat Noir stood in Adrien's place. Quickly, he pulled his baton from behind him and tapped the icon to video call Ladybug. She answered right away, her button nose scrunched with worry.

"Chat Noir! Are you okay? I've been looking everywhere for you! Did you forget we had patrol tonight?"

On reflex, his hand went to his nape in nervousness. "No, I didn't forget. I, eh, had kwami trouble?"

"Kwami trouble? What kind of lame excuse is that?"

He began to panic. "Excuse? N-no! I'm serious!"

"What kind of trouble could a kwami get into?" She eyed him suspiciously. "Mine is super sweet unless if I make a bad decision. Is there something you're not telling me?"

"It's the truth! He is far from charming. Long story short, my kwami got himself stuck in a pipe and I had to get him out. But all is well now, as you can see!" he said as he gestured to his superhero attire.

"If you say so..." Her tone blatantly told him she didn't believe him. "I gotta get going. See you next time!"

Her picture vanished before he could reply. "Claws in," Chat Noir muttered dejectedly.

Spiraling out of the ring, Plagg cried out, "Finally! Now where's my Camembert?!"

.o.O.o.

"Adrien?" Ladybug questioned, her eyelids falling shut. Her face grew closer to his as he leaned in.

"If I may, M'Lady?" he whispered, unwilling to break the trance they were under. She nodded silently in reply and leaned even closer.

"Adrien!" She jumped back and her eyes were wide with shock. Unsure of what he did wrong, Adrien blinked and reached for her.

"Adrien!"

"M'Lady?"

"ADRIEN!"

With a jolt, Adrien awoke and saw Plagg being flung across the room, straight towards the project Adrien had been working on for school the night before. Unfortunately (or, rather, unluckily), he had forgotten to screw the lid on the pint of paint he had been using and the opening was the perfect size for a kwami.

Needless to say, Plagg was unhappy when he flew up in the air, dripping with pink paint. His tiny arms were crossed and he was buzzing with fury. "Why did you throw me across your room, you fur ball brain?!" he shouted indignantly.

"I didn't throw you! You were the one screaming in my ear, what was that about?"

"Well sorry if I had to interrupt your gross dream about Ladybug to try to get some cheese around here!"

"Wait..." Adrien shook his head. "You mean to tell me you got into another mess because of CAMEMBERT?!"

Before the argument could escalate further, they were interrupted by the sounds of an akuma in the distance.

.o.O.o.

"Nice of you to finally drop by, Kitty. What took you so..." Ladybug's voice fell quiet when she laid her eyes on her partner. Her yoyo dangled limply from it's string as she stared at him. The silence between them was broken when she started giggling into her closed hands. "What in the world are you wearing?"

Before her stood Chat... Rose? His trademark black had been exchanged for a bright pink and Ladybug couldn't help the laughter that overflowed from her lips.

"Haha, get your laughs out now," he replied grumpily.

"What happened?"

He sighed, "Kwami trouble."

Ladybug immediately sobered. "Again? If I didn't know better I would think that you were abusing him."

He glared at her. "No way, he's just a trouble maker. Can we please just move on?"

.o.O.o.

Adrien's hands were covering Plagg's face. Given the events of the past few days, it wouldn't be a surprise if Adrien was strangling him, but that couldn't be farther from what was really going on.

"And... Open!" He lifted his hands and the kwami's eyes grew wide.

"W-w-what is this? Is it for me?" He was shaking with excitement as he turned to his chosen.

"Yep, all for you, buddy." The pair sat on the floor looking under Adrien's bed. A hole had been cut into the box spring and several wheels of camembert were hidden inside. "I figured that you've caused enough trouble with your obsession, so I made a safe space for you to hide as much as you like and eat in peace, even if it means my bed will stink."

"You'd really do that? For me?"

"Absolutely, Plagg. You're one of my best friends!"

"Oh, Adrien!" The kwami flew to his chest and gave him a small hug. He quickly backtracked and cleared his throat. "I-I mean, thanks, I guess." He dove into his secret hideaway and Adrien just shook his head and laughed.

"I'm glad that you're here, Plagg, even if you are nothing but trouble."

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: After the end of Dark Cupid, Marinette finds herself anxious about having kissed Chat Noir. ("It was just to save him, nothing else, I swear!")_


	10. Dark Cupid

_After the end of Dark Cupid, Marinette finds herself anxious about having kissed Chat Noir. ("It was just to save him, nothing else, I swear!")_

.o.O.o.

"Ugh! Tikki, I can't believe I failed... AGAIN!" Marinette exclaimed, flopping face-down onto her bed.

"It's okay, Marinette," came the kwami's high-pitched voice as she flew onto Marinette's shoulder. "Next time you write a card, you'll remember to sign it, I'm sure!"

The pigtailed teen sat up and leaned against the wall. Looking toward her favorite photo of Adrien, she asked, "How can you be, though? This is the second time that I've given Adrien something and he has no idea that it's from me! I'm such a failure," she sighed into her hands.

Tikki patted her shoulder soothingly. "You're a lot of things, Marinette, but a failure isn't one of them! You are creative, compassionate, and strong. You'll get up and try again no matter how many times you fall. Besides, if Adrien never likes you back, it's not the end of the world."

"Tikki! How can you say that? So I kiss Chat Noir once and suddenly Adrien's not the one for me?! It was one measly kiss, it didn't mean anything!"

"Uh, Marinette?" Tikki tried interrupting the outburst.

"Besides, it was just to save him, nothing else, I swear! I did it because I had to, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to defeat Dark Cupid!"

"Marinette?"

"Sure, maybe if Adrien wasn't around... No way, who am I kidding? The world wouldn't be the same without Adrien in it, I don't even want to think about it! A world without Adrien would be-"

"Marinette!" Tikki shouted, flying up to her chosen's face. Marinette blinked in response. In an unsure voice, Tikki continued, "You do know that I never said anything about Chat Noir, right?"

The effect of her words was almost immediate, painting Marinette's face a bright red. She spluttered incoherently before throwing herself on her bed again and screaming into a pillow.

Tikki watched her chosen with a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Oh, Marinette..."

.o.O.o.

"Hey, girl! Did you check the Ladyblog today?" Alya greeted her best friend, impressed that she wasn't late for once. Marinette slid in beside her, a cup of hot cocoa and a croissant in hand. She simply shook her head in response as she began sipping her drink. "It's a Valentine's Day exclusive! Someone submitted a photo of Ladybug kissing Chat Noir!"

Marinette's eyes flew open and she began to choke on her cocoa. Concerned, Alya began rubbing her back, hoping to calm her coughs. "Sorry girl, I didn't think that you would get so excited over it. You're not usually so invested."

"I'm not excited or invested, just ready for all this kissing stuff to be over with," she muttered.

"Uh, what did you say, girl?"

Quickly sitting up, she looked at get best friend nervously. "I-I said that I'm not excited because, uh, this kissing stuff shouldn't be all over the internet! Yeah!" Marinette nodded, to sell her lie and also to reassure herself.

"Hmmm, why do you say that?"

"Because the kiss probably didn't mean anything. Actually, it didn't mean anything, she was just saving him."

Alya's reporter sense tingled. "What do you mean she was saving him?"

Marinette froze. She forgot that no one else would know what Ladybug was trying to do. All they saw was Ladybug chasing Chat Noir halfway across Paris begging for a kiss! "Uhhh, educated guess?"

Her friend scoffed. "No way, girl. A kiss like that means something. I wonder if they're dating?"

"NO!" After seeing the surprised look on Alya's face, Marinette backtracked. "I mean, they haven't said anything, so we shouldn't assume, right? I think that if they want to keep it under wraps," she inwardly cringed, "we should, too!"

Alya considered her argument. "Maybe you're right. If I was in the spotlight there would be some things I would want hidden." She pulled out her phone and sighed. After a moment of pained contemplation, she tapped a couple buttons. "Alright, it's deleted. You really owe me one girl, I just a gave up a big scoop!"

"Alright, whatever you say!" _Phew, crises averted!_ _Chat Noir would never let me live that down._ Marinette thought as she glanced down to the empty seat in front of her. _Good thing Adrien wasn't here, he probably would've thought I was crazy for choking like that!_.o.O.o.

"Quiet down, class! Today we will be studying the anatomy of the human mouth. Pull out your textbooks and turn to page 87."

Marinette flipped to the proper page, which was scattered with text and pictures. One was a diagram, the other a collage of smiles.

That one looks a little like Chat Noir. Except his lips were a lot softer than those... Wait, what? Marinette shook the thought out of her head. Where did that come from?

"Marinette!" Ms. Mendeleiev's sharp voice cut through her inner conflict. "Care to join us in class today?"

She vaguely heard Chloe snicker at the question. "Yes, ma'am," she sighed.

"Good. Now, we'll start from the outside in, beginning with the lips."

"Great," Marinette muttered.

"Ms. Dupain-Cheng, if you insist on interrupting my class, I will have no choice but to send you to the principal's office! Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." This kiss is really getting to me.

.o.O.o.

Ladybug stood on top of Notre Dame, overlooking the Seine. The sun had just begun to set, casting a warm glow that reflected on the water. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sound of the city was quiet in the distance, creating the perfect atmosphere for reflection.

 _I don't know why I'm making such a big deal out of this kissing nonsense!_ She huffed. _We do crazy stuff in order to defeat villains all the time, why should this be any different?_ "Good evening, M'Lady!"

"Waah!" She jumped at the sound of Chat Noir's voice.

"Heh, not often that I can pull a sneak a-cat on you, LB! What has you so tightly wound?" he asked, mirth bouncing in his voice.

"Who? M-me?" Chat Noir made a show of looking around, sarcastically reminding her that no one else was on the roof. "R-right. Um, nothing! Just lost in thought!" She giggled nervously.

"You sure?" She nodded. "Alright, whatever you say. I won't tell anyone that you can't get this cat off your mind," he teased with a wink.

Ladybug's eyes popped wide open. "W-who says I'm thinking about you? I-I'm not! Why should I? It's not like we kissed or anything!"

Chat Noir looked at her, completely befuddled. "Uh, no we haven't? U-unless you wanted to, that is..."

"What?!" She jumped again.

Raising his hands in surrender, Chat Noir decided that tonight was not the right night for a confession of love. "Just teasing, M'Lady. You're the one who brought it up, after all!"

Her face turned red with indignation. "You alleycat! Why would I bring up kissing you? Forget it, I'm going home." Ladybug pulled out her yoyo and whirred away.

Choosing to ignore the sting of her words, Chat Noir chuckled to himself as she watched her soar away. "She really is something else, isn't she?"

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: The class decides to do something special for Mylene to apologize for the outcome of the movie. Poor Mylene doesn't know how to react to the attention she receives after the end of The Horrificator._


	11. Horrificator

_The class decides to do something special for Mylène to apologize for the outcome of the movie. Poor Mylène doesn't know how to react to the attention she receives after the end of The Horrificator._

.o.O.o.

Mylène couldn't stop her leg from bouncing anxiously in the passenger seat of her dad's car on the way to school. Although being akumatized wasn't as big of a deal as it had been when it first began to happen, her nerves were getting the best of her. The spotlight had never been a comfortable spot for Mylène; she much preferred staying out of the limelight. She was afraid that her classmates might treat her differently and that they might walk on eggshells around her.

The car pulled to a stop behind the collège. "Alright sweetie, time to head in." Mr. Haprèle turned to his daughter with a smile. "Have a good day. I love you," he murmured, then planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Thanks, dad. I love you, too," she smiled back, feeling more confident with her dad's support. The bond they shared was a powerful one and Mylène always felt better when her dad reassured her. His boldness on stage was something she would never possess, but he passed down a little bit to her when she needed it most. In return, she taught him how to appreciate the little things in life and how to attune himself to nature. Together, they shared kindness and a willingness to look past someone's mistakes, a hope that someday they will become better.

Mylène stepped out of the car with a smile on her face, ready to face the day. She was almost to the entrance when she paused and looked around. _That's strange,_ she thought, _normally Ivan would be here by now, waiting to walk me to class._ Shrugging her shoulders, she continued on her way, thinking that perhaps he was running late.

The classroom was usually pretty empty when Mylène arrived, since her dad had to be at the school early for work. Today, however, was different. When she opened the door, Mylène's heart started racing anxiously as she took in the balloons and macarons on her desk.

"Good morning, Mylène!" a very excited, and oddly early, Marinette exclaimed. By the looks of it, the entire class came early and everyone was looking her way with bright smiles. Everyone except for Chloé that is, as well as a red faced Ivan who wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Uh, g-good morning, Marinette," she stammered, "What's going on?" Perhaps if she played clueless her friend would take the hint and calm down. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the love and concern, but Marinette tended to go a little overboard when she was trying to encourage her friends. She was so energetic and optimistic, but would sometimes take her ideas to the extreme.

The hint, unfortunately, went right over Marinette's head. "Well, since you were akumatized yesterday because of us, we wanted to make it up to you!" She put her hand on Mylène's shoulder. "We're all here for you, alright? You can come to any of us if you need help. Well, except for Chloé," she added under her breath.

"Thanks, Marinette, really, but I'm okay!" She responded cheerfully, removing Marinette's hand. "Thank you, everyone," she said quietly, addressing the class. The walk to her seat felt longer than usual with so many eyes on her, but she tried to ignore the sensation. As she slid in next to Alix she tried sneaking a peek to Ivan, but he still refused to look her way.

She looked down at the treats in front of her sorrowfully. Ivan was the one person that she wanted to be comforted by, but he wouldn't even acknowledge her. Her stomach erupted with the fluttering of butterflies when she thought of the kiss they shared yesterday, their first, and she hoped that he was just feeling shy. He wasn't the type to kiss then break up, right?

Sighing, she decided to munch on a macaron. After offering one to Alix, she pulled out her textbooks and hoped that everyone would forget about the Horrificator incident altogether.

"Alright, class, quiet down, "Mlls. Bustier announced. "Today you're in for a special treat. Instead of having class indoors, we will be going to the park across the street and studying the nature around us!"

The classroom burst with chatter as Mylène's eyes lit up. This was right up her alley. It was a beautiful day and the flowers were in full bloom right now. Everyone seemed to be just as excited as she was.

"Now, now, class, calm down! We will head out in a moment, but first, please thank Marinette for the suggestion." Mylène thought that she saw Mlls. Bustier wink towards her friend, but she wasn't positive.

"Thank you, Marinette!" the class shouted in unison. The pigtailed teen giggled out a "you're welcome", then turned and gave Mylene a wide smile.

Instantly, the butterflies in Mylene's gut began flapping their wings again, yet this time it wasn't the pleasant buzz at the reminder of Ivan's gentle lips against her own. No, this was a nauseating sensation caused by her worries about what Marinette had up her sleeve.

The walk to the park was short, but dragged on for Mylene. Marinette had fallen into step beside her and was currently listing all of the things she admired about her friend. She praised everything about her, from her kind heart to her "awesome sense of style", but Mylene was hardly listening. Her eyes kept wandering to her boyfriend's back as he walked several feet ahead of her, talking to Rose.

Jealousy wasn't a foreign feeling to Mylene. She was often jealous of her friends for possessing attributes she lacked, like Alya's boldness or Alix's athleticism. Being jealous for Ivan's attention had never been a thought for her until today, however. She wasn't angry with Rose at all, but she felt brokenhearted from her boyfriend's apparent shunning of her. Had she done something wrong? Had he not meant to kiss her and now he regretted it?

Her mind was so preoccupied with worry that she didn't notice they had arrived at the park until Marinette hugged her tightly, exclaiming, "Surprise!" There was a table in the park with more balloons and DJ equipment that Nino hurried over to. A large homemade banner was painted with bright purple lettering, reading "We Love You, Mylène!"

The next few hours were a blur as everyone showered Mylène with attention. She felt extremely uncomfortable and couldn't wait until the lunch hour arrived so she could make her escape. Once they arrived back at the school, she ducked into the girl's restroom and locked herself into a stall.

"Alright, deep breaths," she whispered to herself, trying to repeat Mlls. Bustier's breathing exercises. The deep, purposeful breaths always helped her calm down. After ten minutes or so, she finally felt relaxed. Her sense of tranquility was interrupted, however, by a knocking on the outside of the restroom door.

"Mylène? I know you're in there. Would you please come out? I'm worried about you."

 _Ivan._ "Were you worried about me this morning, too, or did you just decide to because everyone else is?" She regretted how harsh the words sounded once they came out, but she couldn't help it. Her breaths became ragged as tears flowed down her cheeks and she tried to calm down, if only so she didn't get akumatized again.

Silence hung between them through the walls and Mylène began to question if he was still there. She came out of the stall and walked towards the outer door, daring herself to peek. Once she cracked the door open her heart plummeted at the sight of Ivan standing right outside with his own set of tear tracks racing down the sides of his face.

His eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected her to ever exit the restroom. "Mylène," he gasped. Swallowing hard as if to summon courage, he took a step toward her and lifted his arms slowly. He hesitated as he reached towards her, then wrapped her in a tight embraced.

Mylène's body tensed with surprise, and she tried to resist relaxing in his arms. He had hurt her and she didn't want to brush that aside without addressing it. "Ivan," she began as she stepped back from him. His hurt by her action was written on her face, but she remained stoic. After her adventure yesterday, she knew that it wasn't healthy to keep her hurt locked inside and she felt courage rise in her. "You ignored me all morning. Why? Yesterday you were there for me and we-" she clenched her fists and lightly pounded them on his chest, "We kissed and now you're pretending like I don't exist and you don't want to be around me! What happened?! Are you ashamed of me?"

She began to sob fiercely as her fists came to a rest on him. He pulled her close again and caressed her back lightly as she cried. When she ran out of tears, she hiccuped and looked at him.

"Mylène," he began, kneeling down so he was at eye level, his large hands on her shoulders. "I could never be ashamed of you. You're amazing! It's just, I know you. When everyone started talking about doing something special for you I knew you wouldn't feel comfortable with all the attention, so I thought I wouldn't treat you any differently. I guess I was so scared of giving you extra attention that I didn't give you any at all." He sighed and looked down. "I'm so sorry, Mylène. Could you forgive me?"

When his grey eyes looked up at her, Mylène could tell he was sincere. "Alright, Ivan, I forgive you. But next time, please ask me how I feel. It's important that we are open and honest with each other. If we just acted on speculation, where would we be?"

"Not together, that's for sure," he chuckled lightly. "You were the first person to not assume that I was some sort of thug or bully and didn't hold what I had done as Stoneheart over my head. You're always looking past my flaws. I know that I'm not the best guy out there and you deserve much better than me, but I love you a lot and will be anything you need me to be. I'll never make this mistake again, I promise."

Mylène paused and thought back to what she had learned from being akumatized. "Ivan, don't look down on yourself. Nobody is perfect and I don't expect you to be. You're you and that's who I love. I don't want anyone else and I don't want you to change who you are for me. I love you, Ivan Bruel, exactly the way you are."

The way his jaw dropped at her words made Mylène let out a watery giggle. This seemed to knock him out of his stupor and he brought her close to his chest. "I love you, Mylène Haprèle, exactly the way you are, too."

Mylène stood on her tiptoes and came to the realization that second kisses induce just as many butterflies as the first.

.o.O.o.

 _Next time: When Adrien makes a pun about being turned into a knight, Marinette decides to impress him with her sense of humor. She decides to turn to Chat Noir for assistance after the end of Darkblade._


End file.
